A York student has produced a behind the scenes documentary on York’s fourth emergency service – The York Rescue Boat.
Crewed entirely by volunteers, the rescue service provides critical support to the established fire and rescue services.
The documentary, produced by Imogen McDougall and filmed and directed by Emily Mozley, formed the main part of their final degree project at University of Salford.
It informs on the dangers of the River Ouse in York and gives a voice to those who patrol the waters, while highlighting the valuable work this charity does.
Imogen is from York and works during the summer months with City Cruises. It was her passion for all things boat, experience working on the Ouse and seeing the incredible work of York Rescue Boat that inspired her to make the charity the subject of her documentary.
Watch the documentary below:
The charity was first established in 2014, following a tragic series of river-related deaths in the city. All of the team members are volunteers.
“York Rescue Boat are a family of people who are here to protect people who are vulnerable and keep them safe,” said operational crew member, Taylor.
“We’re the only ones covering the river in York at the moment – so if there is somebody in the water, we are the only point of call.”
“A lot of people don’t know about us in York,” said operational manager, Mark. “It’s not a nice job to have, but it’s a job that we all love doing otherwise we wouldn’t be here on our weekends.
“I’m very passionate about what we do,” he added. “Over 40 people wouldn’t have been here if it wasn’t for our direct actions of helping them in the situations they’re in.”
“We don’t get paid, it’s all voluntary,” said Taylor. “We want to do this. I don’t think you can put a price on saving somebody’s life.”
Find out more about York Rescue Boat and how you can support them at their website here.